Adequate neonatal nutrition is essential for appropriate growth and to avoid complications associated with nutritional deficiencies. Neonatal nutritional requirements vary with metabolic states, degree of prematurity and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and cardiac systems.
Infants may suffer from several digestive system disorders that may vary from light discomforts to severe life threatening diseases.
The rising incidence of preterm births, coupled with improved survival as a result of highly evolving technologies, has resulted in an increased need to develop innovative and cost-effective treatment modalities for preterm infants during the neonatal period and in later life. Pre-term babies do not achieve the intestinal maturity normally accreted during the third trimester of pregnancy, and are often born with immature gastrointestinal tract, and gastrointestinal diseases and disorders.
US2003/0072865 describes an infant formula comprising a lipid component in which palmitic acid residues make up more than 10% of total fatty acid residues present in the triglycerides resulting in reduced constipation, abdominal discomfort, and gastrointestinal problems.
Postnatal phases leading to maturation of intestinal epithelial cells occur in the early life of an animal: morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation prepare the epithelium for digestion and absorption of colostrums and milk components; thickening of the mucosa occurs due to the growth of villi and crypts.
Epithelial structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract in neonates changes abruptly before weaning to adapt to a change in feeding from milk to solid food. Although intestinal maturation in the neonate has been the subject of intensive studies, the factors triggering the major biochemical and morphologic changes during maturation are still poorly understood. Newborn infants have a very immature cell lining in the intestines. The junctions between enterocytes are not tight, and the brush border and mucus layers are not fully developed. Due to the less tight mucosal barrier, the infant is at greater risk of contracting infections and developing allergies. Thus, intestinal maturation and differentiation of the gut barrier to protect against environmental aggression is desired
During life, intestinal epithelial cells have to fulfill different roles, including classical digestive and absorptive functions, maintenance of a barrier against noxious antigens and bacteria, and secretion of water and electrolytes to keep a proper viscosity of the luminal contents and flush out oxious components.
Intestinal development, maturation, adaptation and differentiation are highly important in the course of a subject's life.